NGC 2261
E546408
NGC 2261, also known as Hubble's Variable Nebula, is a small, fan-shaped reflection nebula in the constellation Monoceros whose appearance changes over time due to variations in its illuminating star.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
reflection nebula
ⓘ
variable nebula ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Hubble's Variable Nebula
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Hubbles Variable Nebula NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| angularSize | 2.0 × 1.0 arcminutes ⓘ |
| apparentMagnitudeV | 9.0 ⓘ |
| associatedStar | R Monocerotis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith | young stellar object R Monocerotis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| belongsTo | Milky Way NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| bestSeenIn |
medium telescopes
ⓘ
small telescopes ⓘ |
| catalogCode | NGC 2261 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| catalogIn | NGC NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| declination | +08° 44′ 10″ ⓘ |
| discoveredBy | William Herschel NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| discoveryDate | 1783 ⓘ |
| discoveryInstrument | reflecting telescope ⓘ |
| distanceFromEarth |
2500 light-years
ⓘ
770 parsecs ⓘ |
| equatorialCoordinateSystem | J2000 ⓘ |
| galacticLatitude | -2.3° ⓘ |
| galacticLongitude | 203.1° ⓘ |
| hasColor | bluish ⓘ |
| hasVariableAppearance | true ⓘ |
| hemisphereVisibility | Northern Hemisphere NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| illuminatedBy | R Monocerotis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| illuminationMechanism | starlight scattered by dust ⓘ |
| locatedIn | Orion Arm NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locatedInConstellation | Monoceros NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Edwin Hubble NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| near | R Monocerotis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nebulaType | reflection nebula ⓘ |
| notableFor |
being one of the first nebulae studied for structural variability
ⓘ
rapid changes in appearance over timescales of weeks to months ⓘ |
| objectType | NGC object ⓘ |
| observedBy | Edwin Hubble NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| observedIn |
infrared
ⓘ
visible light ⓘ |
| partOf | New General Catalogue NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| regionType | star-forming region ⓘ |
| rightAscension | 06h 39m 10s ⓘ |
| shape | fan-shaped ⓘ |
| variabilityCause |
changes in illumination from R Monocerotis
ⓘ
variable obscuration by dust near the illuminating star ⓘ |
| variationTimescale | weeks to months ⓘ |
| visibleInSeason | winter ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.